Never Again
by msjgatsby
Summary: Mike makes the bed. Again.


Author's Notes: Just a quick one shot on what might happen if Mike comes back to Graceland. Looking forward to Season 2.

* * *

"This can never happen again." Paige says as she steps into a pair of denim shorts lying haphazardly on the floor of her bedroom.

"Yeah, ok." Mike just smiles to himself, as he busies himself with fluffing her pillow.

"What are you smiling about?" Paige asks, unable to keep the smile off her own face as she pulls her hair back into a sloppy bun.

"I just hear that phrase so often these days, it's like the new 'good morning'." Mike comes around the edge of the bed, and boldly gives her a peck on the lips. "Good morning to you too."

"I mean it this time, Mike!" Paige insists as he starts to tuck in the other side of her sheet.

"Oh, I know. Just like you meant it yesterday." He grins as he makes her bed.

"We can't keep this up, we're going to get caught." Paige throws Mike's shirt at him hoping he'll get dressed quickly.

"Fine by me." Mike says, "One less secret to keep."

"Of course it's fine by you. You don't live here anymore." Paige rolls her eyes, looking in the mirror for any obvious signs of post coital evidence on her.

"And yet I spend more nights here now than when I actually did live in Graceland." Mike shrugs playfully. "I wonder why that is…"

He comes up behind her and leans in for another kiss, but she ducks away from him, "Look it was just a drunken mistake."

"No, the first night was a drunken mistake. Every night after that was a very calculated choice on my part."

"We are just asking to get caught sleeping here." Paige worries aloud as she buttons her shirt.

"Relax. No one suspects a thing." Mike says as he sits on her bed putting on his shoes. Trying to keep his voice sounding casual he adds, "In fact, everyone seems to think you're still dating Sargent Dickwad. Any truth to that?"

"Don't call him that." Paige rolls her eyes.

"That wasn't an answer."

"When would I have time? You've been here almost every night since you arrived."

"Ok, that definitely wasn't an answer." Mike lets out an aggravated sigh as he pushes himself back to his feet, turning his back to her to continue mussing with bed trying to get it perfect, "Look, I know we never said we were exclusive but given the circumstances…"

"The circumstances? Mike, look it's been fun, but whether Briggs plan works and you get the Caza cartel, or it fails and they get you, one way or another in a week you're not going to be here." Paige stares at Mike's muscular back as he messes with the sheets.

She has never warmed to this plan of using him as bait for Caza. She tells herself that's why she's been sleeping with him every night, so she can keep an eye on him. Well, that and the mind blowing sex.

She's becoming too attached. She finds herself admiring all the little quirks which make him so Mike. The way he carefully makes her bed each and every morning. The secret smile he flashes her across a room. The easy swagger of confidence that has replaced the nervous energy he possessed when she first met him. She can't fall for him though, no matter how easy he makes it seem. He'll be gone soon, one way or another, and she'll be left heart broken again.

"That's why this can never happen again…" Paige says this almost more to herself than to Mike.

Mike stands up and walks over from the bed, taking her in his arms, trying to reassure her. He hugs her tightly, and rests his head on top of hers. "I think I'll get really worried if you ever stop saying that to me."

"Mike..."

"Look, Briggs's plan will work." Mike assures her.

"I just don't trust him to keep you safe. People around Briggs tend to get hurt." She buries her face in his shirt.

"Then trust me. I've got plans of my own. It's going to be fine."

"Is sleeping with me just part of your plan, then?" She tries to lighten the mood and dismiss her fears with playful banter, but the words come out more insecure than she intended.

"I have lots of plans involving you." He smiles down at her secretively, kissing the tip of her nose.

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Come back to bed and I'll show you." Mike grins playfully, leaning into kiss her exposed neck.

"We can't just hide in here all day. Besides you already made the bed." Paige objects, but doesn't push him away.

"I can make it again later." Mike's lips ghost over her ear as he works his way back to her lips to kiss her deeply. Suddenly a knock at the door makes the two jump apart guiltily.

The door opens, and Briggs pops his head in, "Morning. What's going on in here?"

"Trying to convince someone in this house to go on a run with me." Mike says, covering for the two of them. The lying is second nature to him by this point.

"The run will have to wait my man. We have a new plan. Come on, I'll tell you about it in the car. You're not claustrophobic, right?" Briggs says, clasping an arm around Mike's shoulder and dragging Mike towards the door.

"I don't like the sound of this already Briggs." Mike complains before turning over his shoulder to wink cockily at Paige as he is pulled along. "Paige, maybe tomorrow morning we'll go on that run."

"Yeah, that can never happen…" She grins back.

"Again?" He finishes her sentence with a knowing smirk.

"What?" Briggs asks, confused by the exchange.

"Nothing." Mike says with a secret smile, "So… what's this plan?"

Paige shakes her head, a huge grin plastered on her face, even after Mike and Briggs go. Mike's gotten cocky. While part of her finds his confidence sexy as hell, she's sure he's going to get them caught. He keeps pushing the line, he's not as afraid of bending the rules to the limit. She just hopes it doesn't get him killed.

"Morning." Paige jumps a foot in the air, as Dale Jakes leaning in her doorframe startles her out of her daydreaming.

"Jesus Dale. You scared me."

"So you're back with the rat, huh? You told your last boyfriend about that yet? Because you know if you kick him to the curb he's going to take it out on me. He's my boss and I made the mistake of introducing him to you." Dale asks pointedly.

"I'm not breaking up with him. Your job is safe. Chill." Paige informs him cooly, ignoring his accusations about Mike.

"Oh no, with Warren back at Graceland no one is safe. The last time he was here I was almost arrested." Jakes grumbles.

"Well you did help Briggs escape." Paige rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, and he had his name cleared. Once a rat though, always a rat. You sure you can trust him?"

"Mike was just doing his job Dale." Paige sighs. Mike and Dale never have gotten along. She can feel the tension from the stress building in the base of her neck. Paige really doesn't want to have this conversation right now.

"You know as soon as he gets what he wants he's out of here right?"

"Yeah, Dale I know. So what?" Paige snaps at him, but his reminder is a little too harsh for her to handle.

"So I remember what a funk you were in the first time he left, and I don't want to put up with that shit again. Here I thought you were finally over him, and bam. The kid's only been back for a week and you two are already back at it like rabbits."

"For the last time I wasn't sleeping with Mike…" Paige notices the arch of Dale's eyebrow and catches her mistake immediately, "I mean, I'm _not_ sleeping with him!"

"Bull shit." Dale says simply, "There's only one person in this house who makes his bed each morning with hospital corners. And it's not you. You may as well have gotten a poster that said Mike Warren had sex here."

"Look you don't know what you're talking about. Now if you're done, I've got work to do." Paige knows it's weak and Dale doesn't believe her for a second but she's pissed.

She slams the door shut with such force that it echoes through the house. This is not good. Now the whole house knows. Dale's right. What the hell is she doing? She should know better, but somehow when it comes to Mike all her common sense goes right out the window. She needs to end it. This can never happen again.

There's a tentative knock on her door, and then the door gently swings open. Paige spins around, ready to punch Dale in the face, but sees Mike's blond head peaking in instead.

"Everything ok in here? I heard a door slam." Mike asks.

"It's fine. What are you doing here? I thought you were going with Briggs."

"We agreed it was a better night time operation. Less witnesses… I'll explain later. You sure everything's ok? You need anything?" Mike asks, looking at her curiously.

"Come on." Paige says, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door down the hall.

"Where are we going exactly?" Mike asks as she drags him along, though it doesn't much matter. He would follow her anywhere.

"We're going to make Dale's bed."


End file.
